Electric Vehicle sales continue to break through new records, according to data published by the Electric Drive Transport Association (electricdrive.org/sales). ThroughSeptember 2014, 88,149 electric vehicles were sold, up +30% versus YTD September 2013. With 255,766 EVs on US roads since 2011, that number almost doubled the 138,894 cume sales 2011-September 2013.

EV sales in September2014 were up +15% and EVsales per month are now averaging almost 10,000 units.

From a manufacturer share, Nissan has replaced Chevrolet as the #1 EV manufacturer at 25.0% vs. 17.6% for Chevrolet (VOLT, Spark). Nissan sales are up 36% while Chevrolet is down -10%.

American drivers are moving rapidly to adopt plug-in vehicles . . . just not quite ready to give up range concerns. With 8,563 US public charging stations offering 21,126 outlets, that’s just 1 charging station for every 12.5 US based EVs. Until charging station infrastructure coverage grows, and electric vehicle range increases, American drivers are going to continue to play it safe and buy vehicles which give them the best combination of energy efficiency and driving range.

What if the range of a Nissan Leaf was 500 miles vs. 73-80 today? With a range of over 1,855 miles, a Model S might never need to see a SuperCharger again!

Sound far-fetched? According to Gas2 author Steve Hanley maybe not. In his article, Hanley recently reported that “This week a research team at the University of Tokyo School of Engineering has announced a new lithium ion battery that packs seven times more energy density – at 2,570 watt-hours per kilogram – than current lithium ion batteries. The team, led by Professor Noritaka Mizuno, adds cobalt to the lithium oxide crystal structure of the positive electrode, which promotes the creation of oxides and peroxides during the charge/discharge cycle. In addition, it promises significantly faster recharge times as well.”

Whether the 7X lithium ion comes to pass or not, one thing is for sure: there is a lot of R&D time and money being invested in higher capacity, faster charging batteries which will all but eliminate ‘range anxiety’ in EVs! With almost 250,000 on the road in the US, EVs, in all of their forms, are here to stay!

Every few months, I visit with my friends at the Tesla store in Marietta to be sure I stay acquainted with the latest on the Model S. On my visit last week, I was treated to test drive the top of the line P85+ model. Yes the one that has 416 hp and lists well north of $100,000 with options. I’ve driven its sisters the 60 and 85 kWh vehicles, which impressed me to the point of keeping an active design on the Tesla website. One day!

On this visit, I was hosted by new sales consultant Cameron, who knows his product very well. He pointed out all the key features of the P85+ while helping me keep my eyes on the road. The highlight of the test drive is the ‘acceleration test’ conducted on the 120 Loop, which is a 4-6 lane oval around the City of Marietta. With an open road ahead of us, Cameron encouraged me to feel the full power of the P85+. And power it has! While I will not reveal 0-60 times or maximum speed, let’s just say that this car has gobs of power, stays extremely well controlled on high-speed turns and keeps itself firmly planted in the center of the lane. And even with the high-speed driving and acceleration tests, we used only 8 miles of battery range in the process.

So at the end of the test drive, Cameron helped me refine my Model S design online. There’s an almost endless combination of exterior colors (I choose dark blue), wheel and tire packages (21 inch Continentals for me), interior trim (grey nappa leather, Obeche gloss wood trim), battery size/range (85 kWh – 265 EPA rated range) and options (Tech Package is a must). If you are concerned about driving outside of metro Atlanta, Georgia now has SuperCharger stations located in Macon, Tifton and Savannah and one planned for Atlantic Station. Of course, I added the SuperCharger option to my Tesla design.

If you have not had the chance to test drive any of the Model S offerings, contact Cale, Brandon, Harry or Cameron at (678) 797-1808. You’ll be glad you did!